Nitin Sawhney

The candlelit Union Chapel Hall in Upper Street was the setting last week for an eclectic live music set from the incredibly talented Nitin Sawhney alongside other musicians and singers. The British-born, Indian musician, composer and producer showcased songs from his latest masterpiece ‘Last Days of Meaning’. The Grade II listed Victorian chapel made for an intimate and intense setting.

Sawhney summed up the choice of venue perfectly saying “What’s nice is that we’re very lucky in that we always sell out in London and we could sell out big venues like the Royal Albert Hall. It’s actually really nice to come and play at smaller venues because it actually offers you an opportunity to really listen to how the vibe of the album is and new material in relation to an audience that’s right there in front of you that you can see and have eye contact with really easily. I think it’s really nice this venue, I’ve totally fallen in love with it, it’s beautiful. It’s got a really good sense of being an electric atmosphere for an acoustic show. With the Royal Albert Hall you want to do something epic, which we did towards the end, but here it seems we can get into something really quiet and intimately sonic.”

Sawhney himself is an accomplished musician, boasting many awards and accolades for his contribution to music through his exciting and experimental sounds. These include writing for Paul McCartney, Sting, Shakira and his output as a musician is astonishing covering TV, DJ-ing, video games, film, theatre and dance.

The evening was hotly anticipated by fans as soon as it was announced earlier in the year that he’d be playing two back to back dates at the Union Chapel. As a maestro of music, Sawhney let the audience on the evening into his fantastically creative mind, which captured everyone’s full attention. A humble man, he was dressed down and sat to the side of the stage; he said very few words as the music said it all. His entourage included three captivating singer’s who were all very different in their singing style but equally brilliant. One singer, Nicki, gave an exceptional performance as she sang in both Indian and English, demonstrating the fusion of Eastern and Western music Sawhney is famous for.

The evening can only be described as magical and you left feeling humbled and privileged to have been part of an audience witnessing such creative talent.